Environment friendly production
Since November 1st 2018, CMMP’s plant electricity is green (100% Renewable energies).
CMMP is primarily a MINERAL TRANSFORMER for industry and other sectors.
We supply in particular foundries including precision foundries / refractory / ceramics / glass sectors/ aeronautics / automotives / abrasives / welding electrodes / building – construction / packaging/agriculture / methanization / tank celaning and degassing / horticulture / animal nutrition / fire products / paints / plastics / cosmetics / decoration / etc.
Our headquarters are in Paris 8th and our factory is based in Saint-Quentin in the Aisne.
CMMP is an international-oriented company (75% of sales at Export) with a strong network of partners around the world.
CMMP specializes in natural, non-hazardous minerals.
We sell minerals such as : ZIRCON, RUTILE, CHROMITE, MICA, VERMICULITE, PERLITE, PERLITE MICROSPHERE, IRON OXIDE, BENTONITE, KAOLIN, SEPIOLITE, ATTAPULGITE, WOLLASTONITE, DIATOMACEOUS EARTH…
CMMP has global brands such as BRIOREF®, BRIOCOLOR®, BRIOMICA®, MICA SOFT®, IRONOR®, ABSOCLAY®, GRANUTEC®, BRIOPERL® etc.
CMMP is ISO certified Quality/ Safety/ Environment according to the latest standards.
At our Saint-Quentin plant, we carry out the following operations:
mineral milling / mineral expansion / high temperature calcination / selection, classification, sieving, mixtures / packaging, bag reconditioning, big-bags, loading Bulk tank and dump / custom processing
CMMP (Comptoir de Minéraux et Matières Premières) was created in 1932 by Mr & Mrs BOURCIER, first as a company trading international industry mineral powders, then from 1938 as an industrial company with a small mill based near Paris, grinding mineral powders. The main products were Mica, Bentonite and Zircon.
In 1977, the daughter of the founder Françoise BRIOT, took over the management of the family business developing mining partnerships with a Breton producer of Mica, a Zimbabwean producer of Vermiculite and a Moroccan producer of Micaceous Iron Oxide.
In 1991, the plant was moved to Picardy, Saint-Quentin alongside the Saint-Quentin canal, to allow for its development.
In 1997, the granddaughter of the founder Joëlle BRIOT, took over the management, accelerating the industrial development, opening new grinding and thermal treatment workshops for industrial minerals and boosting the internationalisation of export sales by up to 75%.
Throughout its history, CMMP has remained a specialist in industrial niche minerals for the industry, in an increasingly globalised market.
The expertise of CMMP, aside from being strategic, technical and customer oriented, is to know how to research and provide for each industrial need and for each user the origins of the most adapted products, taking into account the constraints of resources and logistic possibilities.
Our company engages in social responsibility and sustainable development.
Our laboratory adheres to product quality control to meet the most demanding of requirements.
Our service adapts to each situation: preparation, packaging, international logistics.
We have a very wide range of products to cover all types of industrial applications.
High level of responsiveness and personalised advice to our customers with the support of a distributors network located on 5 continents.
Our team is committed to social responsibility and sustainable development.
CESTP – ARACT
Regional Trophy for the Quality of Life at work
CESTP - ARACT
EDF-CGPME Picardie
Sustainable Development Trophy
EDF-CGPME Picardie
Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral filler, consisting primarily of magnesium silicate and aluminum, whose appearance resembles that of mica. This ore has golden lamellar particles, arranged in inter-lamellar spaces occupied by water molecules.
When vermiculite is subjected to thermal shock, vermiculite has the unusual property of being expanded or expanded, due to the generation of steam from inter-lamellar spaces.
This phenomenon leads to the formation of particles of beige colour, very light, of shape comparable to that of an accordion.
The expansion of vermiculite involves the introduction of raw vermiculite into a 1000°C oven, which results in lamellar particles: exfoliation at the right angles of the plane cleavages, and the release of water vapour from the inter-spacelamellar and accordion-shaped pellet expansion.
A good exfoliation can only be ensured with a high rate of heat transfer and a rapid generation of steam from inter-lamellar spaces. On the other hand, exfoliation must be particularly controlled. The passage time of vermiculite in the furnace shall be sufficient to ensure exfoliation, but shall be followed by immediate removal of the furnace in such a way as to avoid deterioration of the vermiculite structure, to allow pellets to regain ambient air moisture.
Vermiculite GRANUTEC® is used in a variety of areas including construction, industry, agriculture and horticulture.
Vermiculite is known for its excellent fire resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation properties, absorbent power, high Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC).
Vermiculite is non-combustible and can be used at temperatures not exceeding 1100°C, hence its high fire resistance.
pH value:
In the literature, the pH value of vermiculite is 7. But measuring the pH of vermiculite in aqueous solution results in the transformation of the carbonates associated with the impurities of the rock into alkali oxides and hydroxides, hence an increase in the pH of the solution.
Absorption capacity :
All grades of expanded vermiculite have the ability to absorb liquids at the inter-lamellar voids of each particle considered individually, as well as at the level of the particles between them. Hence, the absorption capacity of vermiculite varies according to grade.
Other features :
Vermiculite is fit to handle, non-abrasive, reflective, non-perishable, odourless, non-irritating and can be moulded, does not cause disease, is non-toxic, absorbs large amounts of nutrients, has good air holding capacity, does not deteriorate during storage, isolates and minimizes ground temperature fluctuation.
Absence of Asbestos :
This absence is controlled by an Approved Laboratory which provides a Certificate of Absence of Asbestos which can be communicated upon request.
GRANUTEC® vermiculite is particularly suitable for fire protection, especially in the petrochemical industry and tunnel construction. Numerous official tests have confirmed the fire resistance of products made of vermiculite, ranging from prefabricated boards and panels, to fire doors, mixed and coated plasters, which can be applied manually or by spraying .
GRANUTEC® vermiculite mixed with Portland cement and water (or a resin if necessary) in proportions that vary according to the desired strength and insulation factors produces a concrete that is light, insulating and fire-resistant. This type of concrete is used in roof or floor coverings, as well as in the manufacture of pre-molded products. It is easy to mix and lay both manually and with mechanical equipment.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite – can be used as loose fill insulation instead of conventional insulation such as glass wool, in block walls, doors, prefabricated or existing partitions, or loose fill insulation in attics and floors. Its flow properties make it very easy to install, while its insulating properties significantly reduce heat loss in winter and keep the interior cool in warm weather. It also functions as a sound insulator and against moisture transfer.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, a practical packaging material (light, clean, non-combustible, inorganic) that easily fills the space around irregular shapes, provides good shock absorption for fragile and/or sensitive materials that need to be protected, such as hazardous chemicals, where it is also possible to protect against accidental spills of varying sizes thanks to its high absorbency.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite can retain up to 450% of its weight in water and is also perfectly suitable for the storage of fruits, bulbs and tubers.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, added to Portland cement or gypsum, produces coatings that can be applied manually or sprayed with advantages over conventional coatings:
lighter weight
better thermal insulation
better adhesion compared to a wide range of substrates
excellent fire resistance
protection against condensation
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, thanks to its intrinsic qualities (good thermal insulation, low density, natural refractory properties), combined with the simplicity of application, is an ideal covering for molten metal, which reduces the loss of calories in the ladle, tundish or ingot mould.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, which is safe for brake and clutch linings, is widely used in combination with other minerals as a substitute for asbestos.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, bonded with alumina cements, refractory earths and silicates, can be used for a wide range of products with a temperature range up to 1100°C on the hot side: bricks, concrete insulation, alumina bonded bricks, special shapes and boards, silicate bonded insulation shapes, moulded products, shapes and blocks.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite, flowable, sterile, non-irritating, non-toxic and absorbent, is the ideal carrier of a wide range of nutrients such as concentrated fat, vitamin preparation and molasses. Its high volumetric efficiency and high liquid retention combined with easy handling make it very easy to mix with other materials.
Anti-caking and anti-caking agent.
Support for finely ground dry materials.
Inert carrier for medical products and nutritious liquids.
Regulator of calorific value
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite can improve or correct soil deficiencies (e.g. lighten a clayey soil), while retaining moisture and nutrients to feed roots, shoots and seeds, ensuring rapid and maximum growth. It is a carrier and liberator of fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite has remarkable Cationic Exchange Characteristics, and can provide plants with ammonium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite is the ideal medium for stimulating root growth and young plant production, in sand, peat and infertile soil, regulating or controlling temperature and humidity changes. Commonly used in composts: helps aeration, improves the retention of nutrients, and improves the growth of plants.
GRANUTEC® Vermiculite is a classic hydroponic growing medium.
We pack our vermiculite in 100LITRES BAGS (up to 1200 bags per truck) or 1400LITRES BIG BAGS on filmed pallets.
We can also load and deliver as BULK in SILO or DUMP TRUCKS.
Other packaging is available on request
MICA is the name of a family of minerals, of the silicate subgroup of phyllosilicates formed mainly of aluminum and potassium silicate. Together with quartz and feldspar, it is one of the constituents of granite.
MICA is a mineral in lamellar form. This form gives it very particular properties.
CMMP provides micas of the muscovite family, but also phlogopites and biotite.
CMMP provides MICA in the following forms:
– FLAKES carefully selected, classified according to the needs and desired properties (granulometry, density, color, chemistry etc.).
– POWDERS obtained by DRY GROUND or WET GROUND. Grinding adjustments are made in order to obtain the desired fineness/granulometry/density. CMMP provides coarse to micronized powders.
CMMP sells its micas under the brand names MICA-SOFT ® (water milled powders) and BRIOMICA ® for the others.
In addition to grinding, CMMP offers the possibility to CALCINATE the micas. This operation allows to purify the product by reducing the fire loss as much as possible but also to lighten the product and promote the delamination of the mica. Calcination also allows to give different shades to the product which are very appreciated in decoration such as for example the color “golden flakes”.
MICA has an extremely thin lamellar crystalline structure. Whether it is used as is or incorporated as a filler, the constitution of MICA enables it to provide remarkable properties: excellent temperature and UV resistance, very high chemical inertia and high dielectric strength, low permeability to gases and liquids, high fire resistance, and exceptional durability. It provides mechanical reinforcement and reinforces the adhesion of the coatings to the substrates. Its flakes offer sought-after decorative effects such as sparkling or randomized effects.
MICA is used in
– paints as a protective barrier and as a film reinforcement, anti-corrosion, sealing, decorative agent…
– plasters of all types such as jointing plasters for plasterboards and decorative plasters
– Composites and plastics as a reinforcing agent, for its thermal stability, matting effect etc.
– powdered cosmetics
– in the welding electrodes
– brake linings
– fire extinguisher powders
– in cladding and fireproof panels in the building industry
– in electrical engineering
– in automotive soundproofing
– for decorative applications in coatings, ceramics, glass, resins…
We pack our MICAS in BAGS or BIG BAGS on filmed pallets.
We can also load and deliver as BULK in silo trucks.
Other packagings are possible on request.
Since November 1st 2018, CMMP’s plant electricity is green (100% Renewable energies).